Paul

For many more names, please return to Edgar's Main Page.

Paul

Gender: Masculine
Language: English, French
Etymology:
Paul is the English and French form of a Latin name, Paulus. Originally it meant “Small,” or “Humble.”

History:
Although an occasional Anglo-Saxon monk called himself “Paul”, the name really first appeared in England as a personal name after the Norman Invasion. Even then, however, it was rare. The more elaborate form of Paulinus was much more popular.
Paul became common in the 17th century, though not really popular.
Paul (in its various translations) has traditionally been more common in southern and eastern Europe, than in the north and west.

In the early 20th century, Paul’s popularity increased everywhere, though it declined during the latter half.

Pronunciation: powll.

Diminutives:
Czech: Paulík, Pauilicek, Paulousek.
Russian: Pava, Pasha, Pusha.

Alternates: Paulin, Paulinus, Pawlin.
Arabic: Boulus.
Breton: Paol.
Catalan: Pau.
Cornish: Pawly.
Czech: Pavel.
Danish: Povel, Poul.
Finnish: Paaveli, Paavo.
Hawaiian: Paulo.
Irish Gaelic: Pól.
Italian: Paolo, Paolino.
Latin: Paulus.
Polish: Pauwel, Pawel, Pawol.
Portuguese: Paulo, Paulino.
Scottish Gaelic: Pàl, Pól.
Spanish: Pablo, Paulino.
Swedish: Poul, Pol, Påvel.
Ukrainian: Pavlo, Paulo.
Welsh: Pawl.

Surnames:
Czech: Pavlov.

Feminine: Paula.

See also: Pablo.

Famous Bearers:
Artists and Authors:
Paolo Uccello (1397-1475)
Florentine painter.
Paolo Farinati (1524-1606)
Italian painter.
Paolo Veronese (1528-1588)
Venetian painter.
Paul Brill (1554-1626)
Flemish artist.
Poul Martin Møller (1794-1838)
Danish novelist.
Paul Bourget (1852-1935)
French novelist.
Paul Adam (1862-1920)
French author.
Paul Ernst (1866-1933)
German writer.
Paul Fort (1872-1960)
French poet.
Paul Manship (1885-1966)
America sculptor.
Paul Horgan (1903-1995)
American novelist.
Paul Bowles (1910-1999)
American composer.
Paul Scott (1920-1978)
British novelist.
Paul Celan (1920-1970)
Romanian poet.
Poul Anderson (1926-)
American writer.
Paul de Wispelaere (1928-)
Flemish novelist.
Paavo Haavikko (1931-)
Finnish poet.
Paul Theroux (1941-)
American travel writer.
Paulo Coelho (1947-)
Brazilian author.

Educators, Scholars, and Social Workers:
Paul the Deacon (720-799)
Lombard historian.
Paul of Venice (Italian: Paolo Veneto) (1372-1429)
Italian philosopher.
Pavel Josef Safarík (1795-1861)
Czech philologist.
Paul Shorey (1857-1934)
American scholar.
Paul Barth (1858-1922)
German philosopher.
Paul Sabatier (1858-1928)
French historian.
Paolo Orsi (1859-1935)
Austrian archaeologist.
Pavel Nikolayevich Milyukov (1859-1943)
Russian historian.
Paul Hazard (1878-1944)
French educator.
Paul Samuelson (1915-)
American economist. Winner of the 1970 Nobel Prize for Economics.
Paulo Freire (1921-1997)
Brazilian educator.

Fictional Characters:
Paul Bunyan
Legendary lumber jack of the Midwest.

Miscellaneous:
Paul Revere (1735-1818)
American patriot. Rode out of Boston to warn that “the British are coming.”
Paul Storr (1771-1844)
British goldsmith.
Paavo Nurmi (1897-1973)
Finnish Olympic athlete.
Paul-Émile Victor (1907-1995)
French explorer of the poles.
Paul Touvier (1915-1996)
War criminal.
Paul Keres (1916-1975)
Estonian chess grandmaster.
Pavel Belyayev (1925-1970)
Soviet cosmonaut.
Paul Bocuse (1926-)
Famous French chef.
Pavel Romanovich Popovich (1930-)
Soviet cosmonaut.
Paul Kipkoech (1963-1995)
Kenyan Olympic runner.

Places:
São Paulo
Brazil
Saint Paul
Minnesota.
Saint Paul’s Cathedral
London.

Political Figures:
Poul Christian Stemann (1764-1855)
Danish premier.
Paul Kruger (1825-1904)
President of the Trasnvaal.
Paolo Boselli (1838-1932)
Italian statesman.
Paul Hymans (1865-1941)
Belgian statesman. Helped draft the League of Nations.
Pavel Anatolyevich Sudoplatov (1907-1996)
Responsible for the assassination of Leon Trotsky.
Poul Nyrup Rasmussen (1943-)
Danish politician.
Paul Keating (1944-)
Prime Minister of Australia.

Religious Figures:
Saint Paul the Apostle (10?-67?)
Helped spread Christianity worldwide.
Saint Paul of Thebes (230-341)
Called Paul the Hermit.
Saint Paul I (?-767)
Pope from 757 to 767.
Paul II (1417-1471)
Pope from 1464 to 1471. Originally named Pietro Barbo.
Paul IV (1476-1559)
Pope from 1555 to 1559. Originally named Gian Pietro Carafa.
Paul V (1552-1621)
Pope from 1605 to 1621. Originally named Camillo Borghese.
Saint Paul of the Cross (Italian: San Paolo della Croce) (1694-1775)
Founded the Passionists, an order of missionary priests.
Paul VI (1897-1978)
Pope from 1963 to 1978. Originally named Giovanni Battista Montini.

Royalty:
Tsar Paul of Russia (1754-1801)
Son of Catherine the Great. A weak ruler.
Prince Paul Karadjordjevic (1893-1976)
Regent of Yugoslavia during World War II.
King Paul of Greece (1901-1964)
Fought against communists.

Scientists and Inventors:
Paul of Aegina (625-690)
Alexandrian author of a medical encyclopedia.
Paolo Frisi (1728-1784)
Italian mathematician.
Paolo Ruffini (1765-1822)
Italian mathematician.
Pavel Nikolayevich Yablochkov (1847-1894)
Russian electrical engineer.
Paul Vieille (1854-1934)
French scientist. Invented smokeless gunpowder.
Paul Sabatier (1854-1941)
French chemist. Co-winner of the 1912 Nobel prize for Chemistry.
Paul Gottlieb Nipkow (1860-1940)
German engineer who helped invent television.
Paul Walden (1863-1957)
Russian chemist.
Paul Cornu (1881-1944)
French engineer.
Paul Lévy (1886-1971)
French mining engineer and mathematician.
Paul Bernays (1888-1977)
Swiss mathematician.
Paul Karrer (1889-1971)
Swiss chemist. Co-winner of the 1937 Nobel Prize for Chemistry.
Paul Scherrer (1890-1969)
Swiss physicist.
Pavel Sergeevich Alekxsandrov (1896-1982)
Soviet mathematician.
Pavel Alekseyevich Cherenkov (1904-1990)
Soviet physicist. Co-winner of the 1958 Nobel Prize for Physics.
Paul J. Flory (1910-1885)
American chemist. Winner of the 1974 Nobel Prize for Chemistry.
Paul D. Boyer (1918-)
American biochemist. Co-winner of the 1997 Nobel Prize for Chemistry.
Paul Berg (1926-)
American biochemist. Co-winner of the 1980 Nobel Prize for Chemistry.

Singers and Entertainers:
Poul Reumert (1883-1968)
Danish actor.
Paul Henried (1908-1992)
Austrian-America actor.
Paul Lipson (1913-1996)
American actor.
Paul Jarrico (1915-1997)
American screenwriter.
Paul Eddington (1927-1995)
British actor.
Paul Stookey (1937-)
American folksinger. Part of Peter, Paul and Mary.

Popularity:
Percentage from the 1990 U.S. Census:
0.948 % named Paul
0.036 % named Pablo

Popularity of Paul:
Popularity (for newborns):
In the United States...
1800: 75th most popular.
1850: 61st most popular.
1875: 55th most popular.
1900-1910: 17th most popular.
1910-1920: 14th most popular.
1920-1930: 13th most popular.
1930-1940: 14th most popular.
1940-1950: 17th most popular.
1950-1960: 17th most popular.
1960-1970: 19th most popular.
1970-1980: 27th most popular.
1980-1990: 40th most popular.
1990: 51st most popular.
1991: 55th most popular.
1992: 58th most popular.
1993: 59th most popular.
1994: 65th most popular.
1995: 71st most popular.
1996: 78th most popular.
1997: 81st most popular.
1998: 90th most popular.
1999: 95th most popular.
2000: 99th most popular.
2001: 111th most popular.
2002: 120th most popular.
2003: 124th most popular.

In France...
1900: 10th most popular.
1910: 10th most popular.
1920: 12th most popular.
1930: 18th most popular.
1940: 19th most popular.
1950: 42nd most popular.
1960: 71st most popular.
1970: 103rd most popular.
1980: 106th most popular.
1990: 48th most popular.
2000: 16th most popular.

In Ireland...
1998: 34th most popular.
1999: 39th most popular.
2000: 40th most popular.
2001: 43rd most popular.
2002: 45th most popular.
2003: 48th most popular.